


Hell or High Water

by Aini_NuFire



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hurt Lancelot (Merlin), Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:20:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29860782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aini_NuFire/pseuds/Aini_NuFire
Summary: When a dam breaks, Lancelot is swept away in the resulting flood and pinned somewhere downriver. With the freezing water still rising, Merlin and the knights have to work frantically to save him.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49





	Hell or High Water

"Keep moving!"

"Hurry!"

The knights of Camelot continued to usher the evacuating villagers across the shallow river crossing. It wouldn't remain that way for much longer. The winter had brought heavy rains and the river currently being stopped up by the dam was near its breaking point. Once it overflowed, the resulting flood would wipe out the small village down in the valley. Even over the din of their harried pace, they could hear the dam creaking under the strain. The knights were racing against time, but it seemed as though they were going to get everyone out. Lancelot helped the last stragglers up the bank.

"Frieda!" a woman's voice rang out. "Frieda, where are you?"

"What's wrong?" Arthur called from the top of the slope as a woman was making her way back down.

"I can't find my daughter!"

Lancelot immediately began looking around and spotted a small child on the wrong side of the river, picking her way through the sodden grass until she reached down and retrieved a straw doll from the mud. He splashed across the river and snatched her up in his arms, ignoring her startled yelp. He then turned and sprinted back toward the others.

He was halfway across the river when a resounding crack rent the air. The dam burst, unleashing a raging cascade of frothing water. Lancelot looked toward the shore and met Percival's startled gaze. He didn't have time to think. Lancelot swung the girl up and threw her at the other knight. He didn't see whether his friend was able to catch her before the icy cold water slammed into him and everything went black.

.o.0.o.

Merlin stood halfway up the sloping embankment, helping the last of the villagers climb up away from the river. He watched Lancelot go back for the girl, heard the dam break before they'd safely made it back across. In that split moment where time seemed to stand still, Merlin saw his friend's resignation as he tossed the little girl to Percival right before the water crashed into him, sweeping him away.

"Lancelot!" Merlin scrambled back down the incline, slipping in the mud.

Percival had caught the child and fallen backward to land on the shore, the raging river mere inches from his feet.

Arthur appeared at the top of the rise again. "What happened?" he yelled.

"Lancelot's in the river!" Merlin couldn't see him, though. The current was moving too fast. Merlin broke into a run down the shoreline.

"Get everyone to safety!" Arthur barked, and then he and Gwaine were rushing after Merlin.

Everything was wet and slippery, and Merlin slipped several times, allowing Arthur and Gwaine to overtake him as they searched for Lancelot, shouting his name over the roar of the rapids.

"Over there!" Gwaine shouted, pointing.

Merlin jerked his gaze back and forth over the area until he spotted Lancelot caught in the bare branches of a gnarled tree that lay on its side in the river. He appeared unconscious, chin slumped against his chest as the current continued to rush around him.

Arthur reached the base of the tree first and immediately crawled out on the trunk. He had to stretch to reach Lancelot's collar, but a few fervent tugs couldn't pull him free.

"Hang on," Gwaine said, crawling out behind Arthur and wrapping an arm around his waist to anchor him. Arthur then leaned down further to get a better hold of Lancelot. But still the unconscious knight didn't budge.

"He's stuck somehow," Arthur called.

Merlin stood on the edge of the bank, helpless. And the water was still rising.

"Lancelot!" Arthur grabbed a fistful of the knight's cloak and shook it.

Lancelot moaned and lolled his head up. A few abrasions on his face were beginning to trickle pink rivulets, diluted by the water streaming down from his hair. His eyelids fluttered groggily as he came awake, gaze disoriented.

"Lancelot!" Merlin snapped, trying to get him to focus.

Lancelot rolled his head the other direction, blinking rapidly. He gasped as his situation finally registered, sitting chest-deep in a raging river that was swelling by the minute.

"Take my hand," Arthur said, reaching down for him again.

Lancelot shifted, then cried out. "M-my leg's t-trapped," he stuttered, the cold making his teeth chatter.

"Can you move it?"

Lancelot swished his arms around in the water, only to gasp and grimace again. "I c-can't feel- fingers. C-can't tell- what…"

Merlin sucked in a sharp breath and strode forward into the water.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted.

He hissed as the glacial cold soaked through his shoes and up his trouser legs. Instinct screamed at him to _get out_ , but he pressed on. The current tried to sweep his feet out from under him, and he clung to the tree's gnarled branches to keep himself upright, crawling through the tangle to reach where Lancelot was pinned. This close, he could see how white his friend was and how violently he was shivering.

His foot finally slipped and he went down with a cry of shock as the water splashed around his chest. The tree kept him from being swept away, and with one hand on Lancelot, Merlin extended his other down to feel around Lancelot's legs. His fingers bumped against a smooth rock and he followed the curvature down to where Lancelot's leg was pinned beneath it. "I need something for leverage!"

Gwaine snapped one of the branches off the tree and passed it down to him. Merlin tried to wedge one end between the rock and river bed without catching Lancelot's leg. The frothing water made it too difficult to see.

"Sorry," he said preemptively.

Lancelot just gave him a grim look. "I c-can't- feel- anythin'." His shivering was becoming less pronounced and his eyelids began to droop.

"Stay awake!" Merlin barked at him.

Arthur was still lying on his stomach across the fallen tree trunk, and he reached down to shake Lancelot again. "Stay with us!" he ordered.

Kneeling in the raging river with Lancelot and the tree as a barrier, Merlin leaned his whole body weight against the branch, pushing on the lever in an effort to dislodge the rock. But then the wood abruptly broke in half, and Merlin went sprawling over Lancelot's legs. If the initial shock of cold had been bad, the icy plunge over his head was even worse.

Merlin spluttered as he scrambled backward before he could slip over to Lancelot's other side and get swept away in the open current. The river pushed him into the tree's scraggly branches, their tips poking painfully against him. He was now shivering himself with water soaking him from head to toe. And the river was still rising; the water was now lapping at Lancelot's chin.

"G-go," Lancelot stammered. "Be-fore- you- fr-freeze t-too."

"No." He turned back up to Gwaine. "Give me another branch."

"Let me try," Gwaine protested.

"I'm already wet," he said sharply. "No use all of us getting hypothermia. Now give me another branch!"

Gwaine's jaw visibly tightened but he turned to search for something thicker on the tree.

Merlin's teeth were beginning to chatter and his hands felt like they were burning from the cold. He knew what stage came after that and he had little time to lose.

Gwaine finally handed him another branch. "What if it breaks too? We need something stronger."

But they had nothing stronger on hand and there was no time to go back for tools.

Merlin shoved the branch under the rock and pushed. With his back to Arthur and Gwaine, he lowered his head and summoned up his magic. The roaring rapids covered the hiss of his spell as the rock finally rolled away. Merlin staggered for good measure and dropped the branch, then reached down to grab Lancelot and haul him away. The scraggly branches scratched at them both as Merlin struggled to disentangle him, but at least he was moving. Arthur and Gwaine reached down to help, and together they managed to slowly heave their friend out of the river and onto the embankment.

Lancelot was completely limp by the time they laid him on the ground, eyes closed, skin stark white. Merlin couldn't feel his own extremities anymore, either.

Shouts sounded from nearby and a moment later the other knights came barreling toward them.

"Hurry!" Arthur ordered. "We need to get back to Camelot."

Percival came and lifted Lancelot to pull over his shoulder, grunting and staggering under the extra weight of waterlogged clothes and chainmail. Merlin stumbled after them as they quickly started moving, and Gwaine reached out to grab his arm in support. Everything was taking on a fuzzy sort of quality. Merlin tried to keep up the urgent pace, but his limbs were too heavy and didn't seem to respond. A heavy sleepiness started to seep in along with the numbness. He found himself lurching to the left rather than sticking to the trail.

Then suddenly arms scooped him off his feet, and he didn't have the energy to protest as the world tilted and swirled into a dizzying eddy that carried him away.

.o.0.o.

Lancelot and Merlin were both completely unresponsive by the time they arrived back in Camelot. Arthur's chest was tight with worry, and he kept casting fraught glances back at his men. He didn't even know if they were still breathing, as there'd been no time to stop and check.

Elyan burst out of the castle doors just as the group reached them. He'd ridden ahead to alert Gaius of what was coming. "Gaius said to take them into the common room where the fireplace is bigger," he reported urgently.

Arthur nodded and gestured for the knights to change direction instead of heading for the physician's chambers. They all quickly made their way through the castle to the common room where they found Gaius already present with his satchel of medicines. Servants were stoking up the fire and bringing in armfuls of blankets.

"Get them out of those clothes," Gaius barked as Lancelot and Merlin were brought in.

Arthur stood back and watched. The heat radiating from the fireplace was beckoning, but he wouldn't be so selfish as to seek it out right now. His gloves had gotten wet and his hands were chilled, so he simply took them off and tucked his fingers under his armpits.

Lancelot and Merlin were stripped down and quickly wrapped in dry blankets and furs, then lain close to the hearth.

"How long were they in the water?" Gaius asked as he knelt between them.

"I'm not sure," Arthur replied. "Lancelot for several minutes at least. He got swept away and was pinned for a bit. Merlin went in to free him."

"Damn branch broke and Merlin got a full dunking," Gwaine added. "He passed out on our way back."

Gaius hummed and nodded as he alternated between examining them both. "Was Lancelot conscious at all?"

"Not at first," Gwaine answered. "Came around during the rescue, but then the cold took him again before we could get him out of the river."

At that, Gaius shifted to running his fingers carefully over Lancelot's head in search of injury. He then moved down the rest of the knight's body, working around the many folds of blankets. "I don't feel any broken bones. The cold would have delayed any bruising and swelling, so I'll have to keep checking for that." He waved at some of the servants standing along the wall with extra towels. "Get their hair as dry as you can."

"Will they be okay?" Percival asked.

Gaius's expression was carefully neutral, though there was a flicker of worry in his eyes as he looked at Merlin. "With cold like this, we can only wait and see."

Arthur felt an uncomfortable lump forming in his throat. He tried to clear it. "I should see to arrangements for the villagers."

"I'll take care of it," Leon interjected.

Arthur gave him a grateful nod. He was still chilled himself, but nowhere near as badly as Lancelot and Merlin. He went to take a seat behind them, near the fireplace but not crowding those who desperately needed it. And then he settled in to wait like Gaius said.

.o.0.o.

Merlin woke up freezing and cocooned in something heavy, his shivering limbs bumping against the soft yet restraining material. A muffled sound escaped his lips as he tried to twist free.

"Easy, my boy, you're safe."

"Mmph, Gaius?"

Merlin blinked against the flickering orange light battering his eyelids. He was lying on the floor, though he couldn't feel the stone through the thick layers bundled around him.

Gaius smiled down at him. "Welcome back."

Merlin scrunched his face up as he tried to get his fuzzy thoughts in order. Why was he on the floor in the common room instead of Gaius's chambers and why was he so cold? His eyes widened in alarm. "Lancelot!"

Gaius shifted so Merlin could see past him to where the knight was lying in front of the hearth, equally wrapped in thick blankets and furs. Lancelot was asleep, or unconscious, his pallor still far too pale, though the abrasions from getting knocked around in the river were showing some stark colors.

"He alright?" Merlin asked worriedly.

Gaius hesitated. "He nearly froze like you almost did," he hedged. "Can you sit up and take some broth?"

Merlin wanted to demand a straight answer, but another pair of hands started to unbind him from the pile of blankets and gently pulled him into a sitting position. Gwaine.

Gaius moved away and returned a moment later with a steaming bowl of broth. Merlin tried to take it, but his hands were shaking too badly, so Gaius held it for him. His chattering teeth knocked against the rim and spilled some of the soup down his shirt front. Merlin grimaced.

"The shivering is good," Gaius said. "It's your body's way of fighting against the chill."

Merlin nodded; he knew that. He glanced over at Lancelot, who didn't appear to be shivering at all. When he looked back to Gaius, the physician's eyes were openly sympathetic.

"It's touch and go with him at the moment," he finally admitted.

Merlin swallowed hard. "How long?"

"We've been back in Camelot for an hour now," Gwaine answered at his back.

Okay, that wasn't really much time for recovery, and Lancelot had been in the water longer than Merlin, so it only made sense he'd need more time.

Gaius lifted the bowl in silent command, and Merlin let himself practically be spoon fed until the broth was gone. It did help to warm him from the inside. Once he was done, Gaius went over to check on Lancelot, and Merlin wrapped the blankets tightly about him again.

Arthur came over and crouched down in front of him. "How are you feeling?"

Merlin gave him a lopsided smile. "Could use a few days off."

"Or a pair of mittens you can work in," Arthur rejoined, but then his expression sobered. "That was brave what you did," he said seriously.

Merlin shrugged. "Any of you would have done it."

"We're knights of Camelot; danger is our job. Your job is to clean my armor."

Merlin rolled his eyes.

Arthur sighed and gave him a fond smile, and Merlin knew what he meant but wouldn't say.

"Doesn't being a hero get me a day off?"

Arthur snorted as he got to his feet. "Not even knights get days off, _Mer_ -lin."

Their gazes automatically drifted toward Lancelot, and they both knew no one would be working until they knew whether their friend would be all right.

Gaius and Gwaine plied Merlin with several cups of tea over the next several hours, and he finally warmed enough that he didn't need to be huddled in a mound of blankets and furs anymore. Lancelot, however, had failed to stir even a little in all that time. His body temperature had slowly risen, at least, but then Gaius declared he'd developed a fever, and the rounds of worry started all over again. The pile of blankets was scaled back, but the excess was then warmed in front of the fire to be wrapped around Lancelot's hands and feet, which were still chilled to the touch. Merlin wished he could use his magic again, but there was just too many people milling about the common room, and Gaius didn't seem to want to move Lancelot to somewhere more private.

He did try to order Merlin back to his own bed for the night, but Merlin wasn't having any of that. He could sleep just as well on the rugs as the rest of the knights, who also refused to leave except to fetch fresh supplies for Gaius.

It was a long, restless night. Merlin dozed here and there, exhausted from the ordeal at the river but also too worried to sleep peacefully. He lay on his side under some blankets and watched the others taking turns sitting vigil beside their friend.

When he woke again the following morning, it was to Gaius poised over Lancelot's body, one hand on his brow and the other clasped around the pulse point at his wrist. Merlin sat up abruptly, heart lurching into his throat.

Gaius glanced at him and smiled. "His fever broke."

Merlin crawled across the floor and knelt next to them. "Has he woken?"

"Not yet. That's up to him now."

Merlin reached out and brushed back some of Lancelot's hair from his forehead. With a quick glance around at everyone else dozing in the room, he whispered a quick spell, just enough to let some magic trickle into his friend. Gaius gave him a look, which Merlin quirked his lips at unapologetically.

Despite the tiny boost of healing magic, it was another few hours of waiting before Lancelot finally opened his eyes. Elyan was sitting next to him on the floor and straightened in alert.

"Hey!" he called.

Everyone crowded around them as Lancelot's eyelids fluttered blearily up at them all. He looked confused and completely dazed, but then he licked his lips and whispered, "The girl?"

"She's safe," Percival assured him.

Lancelot nodded minutely against the blankets at his head and closed his eyes.

"Ah, ah," Gaius tutted, prodding him to open them again. "You gave us quite a scare, my lad. I need you to take some broth before you sleep again."

Elyan shifted around to help elevate Lancelot while Gaius held the bowl to his lips to sip carefully. Merlin shared a relieved smile with Arthur and the other knights. Once again they'd beaten the insurmountable, by the strength of individual will and the collective resolve of those who refused to accept anything less.


End file.
